#79
SINKING INTO PEACE
I’m going to keep this really, really simple. After all, isn’t that what we all need right now? A large slice of self-compassion but served in small, manageable bits.
Let’s start by pausing for a moment. Because I don’t know about you, but I’ve been feeling a bit like a dried-up plant in need of a good watering. Just sit and take a few long, deep, healing breaths. The type of breath that slows time down and allows the body to relax. Pause and breathe in … 1-2-3, and out … 1-2-3. Allow your shoulders to sink away from your neck, as the muscles of your face and jaw relax. Go on…nobody’s looking. Doesn’t that feel a little bit better?
None of us have experienced quite what is happening around the globe before. And yet, we have all been adapting as best we can. All the time.
In past years we have tended to gear up for the holidays. I am suggesting instead we slow down.
In this Little Life Line I would like to share some bite-size morsels of self-compassion that you can do as the holidays approach. There is one for the Mind, one for the Body, and one for the Heart.
Three Things You Might Like to Try:
- Relax your Body. Relaxation draws anxiety from the body like pulling a plug in the bath-tub. Sit quietly in a chair, take a nap, stretch, go for a walk. Make it your #1 priority to devote some time to this every day.
- Switch the Focus in your Mind. If you are anything like me your mind will often drift to what I am NOT able to do. Have you noticed how that train of thought goes nowhere but to Pain Central. Every time! Why am I doing that to myself? When this happens now I gently try and turn it toward what I AM able to do. Even something as simple as curling up with a book is a treat I can delight in.
- Nourish your Heart. Let’s take a few moments to create a love list. Find a quiet place and write down five things you love about someone close to you. It is so normal to get irritated by the little things, but when we focus on what we love about someone it can be incredibly powerful. Don’t take my word for it, try it out!
Please be kind to yourself. Take a few moments here and there and slow everything down… 🙂
